Raising Lazarus
Close Reading a Text. Let's read this story in small sections and then ask questions. This text is taken from the Easy-to-Read Version of the Bible.
Message sent to Jesus
There was a man named Lazarus who was sick. He lived in the town of Bethany, where Mary and her sister Martha lived....So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, “Lord, your dear friend Lazarus is sick.”
When Jesus heard this he said, “The end of this sickness will not be death. No, this sickness is for the glory of God. This has happened to bring glory to the Son of God.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
By Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18888543
Disciples Advise Jesus
So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days and then said to his followers, “We should go back to Judea.”
They answered, “But Teacher, those Jews there tried to stone you to death. That was only a short time ago. Now you want to go back there?”
Jesus answered, “There are twelve hours of light in the day. Whoever walks in the day will not stumble and fall because they can see with the light from the sun. But whoever walks at night will stumble because there is no light.”
By Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18888551
Why does Jesus wait before going to where Lazarus is? Is he worried about Lazarus? Do you think he knows Lazarus will be okay?
Jesus says Lazarus Asleep
Then Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus is now sleeping, but I am going there to wake him.”
The followers answered, “But, Lord, if he can sleep, he will get well.” They thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was literally sleeping, but he really meant that Lazarus was dead.
So then Jesus said plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad I was not there. I am happy for you because now you will believe in me. We will go to him now.”
Then Thomas, the one called “Twin,” said to the other followers, “We will go too. We will die there with Jesus.”
By Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18888551
Why does Jesus say Lazarus is "sleeping" when he means he is dead? What does he mean that he will wake up Lazarus?
Martha
Jesus arrived in Bethany and found that Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem. Many Jews had come to see Martha and Mary. They came to comfort them about their brother Lazarus.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to greet him. But Mary stayed home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask.”
Jesus said, “Your brother will rise and be alive again.”
Martha answered, “I know that he will rise to live again at the time of the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection. I am life. Everyone who believes in me will have life, even if they die. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never really die. Martha, do you believe this?”
Martha answered, “Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God. You are the one who was coming to the world.”
By Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18888553
Does Martha blame or welcome Jesus when she first sees him?
What does Jesus mean that he is the resurrection?
Martha returns to Mary
By Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18888555
Mary comes to Jesus
Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she saw him, she bowed at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw Mary crying and the people with her crying too, he was very upset and deeply troubled. He asked, “Where did you put him?”
They said, “Lord, come and see.”
Jesus cried.
And the Jews said, “Look! He loved Lazarus very much!”
But some of them said, “Jesus healed the eyes of the blind man. Why didn’t he help Lazarus and stop him from dying?”
Again feeling very upset, Jesus came to the tomb....
By Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18888558
When Mary first sees Jesus, does she welcome him or blame him?
Is anyone hopeful that Jesus can help Lazarus?
...It was a cave with a large stone covering the entrance. He said, “Move the stone away.”
Martha said, “But, Lord, it has been four days since Lazarus died. There will be a bad smell.” Martha was the sister of the dead man.
Then Jesus said to her, “Remember what I told you? I said that if you believed, you would see God’s divine greatness.”
So they moved the stone away from the entrance....
By Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18888560
Jesus tells everyone to remove the stone? Why doesn't Martha want to do that? Is she hopeful Jesus will help Lazarus?
Lazarus Awakens From Sleep
...Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know that you always hear me. But I said these things because of the people here around me. I want them to believe that you sent me.” After Jesus said this he called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with pieces of cloth. He had a handkerchief covering his face.
Jesus said to the people, “Take off the cloth and let him go.”
By Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18888571
What do you think about Jesus' prayer to God? Why does he begin by giving thanks?
Taken from the HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ VERSION © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center, Inc. and used by permission.